John devonshire ellis



(NoModeL) I J D ELLIS.

Armor Plate and Method of Producing theSame.

No. 232,476. Patented Sept. 21,1880. L

z I l E g I 1 l l 1 UNITED STATES. PATENT FFIGE.

JOHN DEVONS-HIRE ELLIS, OF SHEFFIELD, ENGLAND.

ARMOR-PLATE. AND METHOD'OI'F PRODUCING THE SAME.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 232,476, datedseptemloer 21, 1880.

Application filed April 17, 1880. (No model.) Patented in EnglandOctober 1, 1877.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN DEVONSHIRE ELLIS, of the Atlas Works,Sheffield, England, iron master, have invented Improvements inArmor-Plates and Methods of Producin g the Same, (for which I haveobtained a patent in Great Britain, No. 3,662, hearing date 1st October,1877,) of which the following is a specification.

My invention has for its object an increased facility in the manufactureof armor-plates composed of iron and steel combined or united, and alsoin the subsequent planing and finishing of the edges of such plates.

My invention consists in a novel process of making such combined ironand steel armorplatesnamely, in securing to the edges of a wrought-ironplate a wrought-iron frame projecting above the face thereof, in heatingthe plate and frame to a welding heat, and in filling the space withinthe frame when heated with molten steel nearly or quite to the level ofthe top of said frame, whereby the steel is united to the iron plate andframe. The combined iron and steel plate is then allowed to cool, sothat the iron and steel may become welded together, and is afterwardrolled into an armor-plate of any desired thickness. The iron frame maybe constructed with intersecting bars or partitions.

The invention also consists in an armorplate having a wrought-iron backand edges and a steel face welded to said wrought-iron back within andinclosed by the wrought-iron edges.

In some cases, also, it may be found desirable to insert longitudinallyor transversely, or both,'bars of wrought-iron, in order that the samemay intersect the steel for the purpose of reducing the lengths of thecracks in the steel when penetrated by shot In the drawings, Figure 1 isa plan, and Fig. 2 a vertical section, showing a plate with an ironframing on it. Fig. 3 is a plan showin g the steel portion of the plate.Fig. 4: shows the plate in side elevation, the portion above the dottedline being of steel and that below the same line being of wrought-iron.Fig. 5 is a plan showing an iron frame with longitudinal and transversebars or partitions for intercepting the steel portion of the armorplate.

A is-a plate made of the usual quality of wrought-iron. B is awrought-iron: frame fixed on theplate, thereby inclosing a portion ofthe surface of the plate, onto which a suitable quantity of moltensteel, A (made by the Bessemer or other suitable process,) isto bepoured in order to fill the. said inclosure with steel of the depth orthickness required.

The height or depth and also the length and breadth of the frame B willbe varied, as required, to suit the intended dimensions of the finishedplate of combined iron and steel. This frame is or may be fixed togetherin its parts before heating in the furnace by dovetailing, or the partsmay be otherwise fixed together.

(J O are longitudinal bars, and D D are transverse bars, fitted into theframe B by dovetailing or otherwise, so as to divide the inclosurewithin the frame and form additional cells E E for the reception ofmolten steel, in order that the steel in the finished plate may beintersected by the said bars of Wrought-iron.

In Fig. 5 the bars 0 O and D D are arranged so as to form six cells forthe steel to be poured into; but this number may be varied. The bars 0 Oand D D may be of the same height or depth as the frame B, or they maybe of less height or depth than the frame.

In Fig. 5, also, the cells E E are shown as rectangular; but they may beotherwise formed so long as the bars or partitions G G and D D arearranged in such a manner as to divide into suitable cells the surfaceof the plate inclosed within the frame B, and thereby correspondinglydivide the steel portions of the compound plate.

In Fig. 1 the dotted lines represent longitudinal and transverseintersecting bars.

With reference to the mode of manufacturing the entire armor-plate theiron portion thereof is made by the ordinary method of manufacturingwrought-iron armor-plates, and the bars forming the walls both of theframe and the cells are composed of a similar quality of iron.

After the iron plate with the frame or framing and bars has been heatedin the furnace (which only differs in size from the-ordinaryreverberating iron-heating furnace) the steel may be poured on while theplate is in the furnace; but it is preferred to take the iron plate withits frame, or frame and bars, from the furnace, and then pour the steelonto it. The combined iron and steel plate is then allowed to cool andsolidify, after which it is reheated in an ordinary furnace and reducedto the thickness required either by forging, pressing,.or rolling, or byall or any of these processes in combination.

Figs. 2, 3, and 4 represent the relative forms and dimensions of theplate before and after rolling or other reducing and finishing process.

In finishing the com pound plate the outside frame or framing may beeither removed entirely or so as to leave a portion of it on the edgesof the said plate.

NVhat I claim as of my invention is 1. The process of making a combinedsteel and iron armor-plate, consisting in securin g to the edges of awrought-iron plate a wroughtiron frame projecting above the face thereofin heating the plate and frame to a welding heat, and in filling thespace within the frame when so heated with molten steel nearly or quiteto the level of the top of said frame, substantially as specified.

2. The process of making a combined steel and iron armor-plate,consisting in securing to the edges of a wrought-iron plate awroughtiron frame projecting above the face thereof and provided withintersecting bars or partitions, in heating the plate and frame to awelding heat, and in filling the spaces formed by the intersecting barsor partitions and frame when so heated with molten steel nearly or quiteto the level of the top of said frame, substantially as specified.

3. An armor-plate having a wrought-iron back and edges and a steel faceWelded to said back within and inclosed by the wroughtiron edges,substantially as specified.

JOHN DEVONSHIRE ELLIS.

Witnesses EDWARD Romans, 7 St. James Row, Shcfiield, Surveyor.

Bron. HOWE, 7 St. James Row, Shefiield, Shortbread-Clerk.

